The Monitor. [volume] (Woodstown, N.J.) 1884-1892, 1887-02-04
FURNISHING CHILDREN.

1t seems as if in this age of civilization
that physical punishment ought never to
be resorted to. 1t is not necessary. \
parent has full control of child when it
is young and should keep it. 1t can never
be done by whipping, for boy that is
punished that way always looks forward
to the time when he will be too large to be
whipped a little harder every time,
which in itself proves that form of pun
ishment to be useless and wrong. In any
other method of furnishing a child can be
be shown that he is simple enduring the
consequences of disobedient act, unless,
of course, more injustice is practiced, for
children have fine sense of justice andar
easily deceived by pretense Of it. Too
much punishment is as dangerous as too
little. 1t is when one has glmmer of
this idea that he quotes the proverb,
"Spare the rod, ETC., to fortify himself
when the proverb would be better forgotten.
Great rewards betoken falling state. =
The same is true of much punishment.
The object Of all punishments is, of
course, to improve child, to trim off or
subdue its faults of character as they APP
pear and give better chance for all the
good qualities to develop. There are ways
of furnishing besides whipping that will de-
feat this end and the whole subject is
matter to be gravely considered by parents
or IL; IA. l.
tice to deprive child of some accustomed
or anticipated pleasures because of a DISC
bedience. The effect of such punishment
depends upon the circumstances. Suppose,
for instance, boy has promise that he
shall go to certain circus that is coming
in few days, but an occasion arises in
which some sort of discipline must be re
sorted to, and he is told he cannot go to the
circus. In such ease all the antagonism
of the boys nature is aroused. He can see
no justice in the punishment. Lie submits
because he is obliged to and the only relief
he has is in hating the authority over him,
and no doubt feels contempt, for time,
for one that can give promise and then
take it back. All the matters in relation
to the coming of the circus, his mates all
going. and everything il connection with
it will continually keep his angry feelings
uppermost and he will all the time feel the
injustice of the broken promise instead of
repentance for his misdeed Now il, in
stead, he has been told that he could not
go out Of the yard again for any pleasure,
except the circus for week. nor have any
boy in his own yard to play with him dur
ing that time, but must amuse himself as
best he could alone in consequence of his
wrong doing, he would many times during
the week wish he had behaved himself pro-
perly and would not have that hateful feel
ing aroused towards his parents lie
would not be made unhappy by his punish
ment; he would have a chance to think
of the matter fairly and would not feel
abused and outraged however uncomfor-
table the restriction became. Instead of
feeling angry at it he would wish he had
not done wrong. A child needs all the !
sunshine it can have to be fitted for the !
storms that come in after life, and if in
doubt whether a punishment, in certain
cases, is really necessity or not, always
give the child the benefit OF the doubt. A
happy child will be the most obedient.
The docility OF a slave is not what We
want in children. ''fhe camel moves no
swifter before the whip, only behind the
flute. Rose Dalton. In Good Housekee0-
9n0